Titans who built the Left edifice in State

By R.Vijaya Kumar

BANGALORE, APRIL 30. It was on this day 115 years ago that over
half-a-million workers struck work in all important cities of the
United States demanding an eight-hour working day.

Two days later, on May 3, at Haymarket Square in Chicago, the
police perpetrated a bloody act on innocent workers killing 10
and injuring over 200 of them. May 1 was later proclaimed as
International Workers' Solidarity Day, although it was first
celebrated as an international workers' holiday in 1890, a year
after a decision to this effect was taken at the Second
International of the IWA (International Working Men's
Association).

Thus May 1, 1886, went down in the annals of the international
working class movements as the first major demonstration of its
solidarity.

In India, May Day was celebrated for the first time in 1923 in
Madras by M.Singaravelu Chettiar, described as the first
Communist of South India.

At the national level, May Day began to be celebrated from 1927.

Though a semblance of trade union activity was going on in some
places in the country, notably the west coast and parts of
Bombay-Karnatak areas, it was in the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) that
the seeds of the first communist movement and trade union
activity were sown in the erstwhile Mysore State.

The KGF has a unique place in the history of the Left trade union
movement in Mysore State. Thanks to M.F.Lavelle, who obtained the
exclusive rights for mining in Kolar District in 1873, the mining
operations began in full swing in 1875. A little later, the
rights were transferred to John Taylor & Sons.

By 1914, the production of gold from these mines was of the value
of 21.66 lakh pounds. The workforce included 16,000 underground
employees and 10,500 surface workers. What was a barren and
desolate stretch of land turned into a thriving settlement of
over 50,000 people in a short time.

The number of miners swelled in the next 15 years. By 1930, the
KGF had the largest concentration of working class in the whole
of Asia. Dr. Colin P.Simmons, a noted economist of the University
of Salford in the U.K., described KGF workforce of that time as
the first ``genuinely mass proletariat labour force.''

But the socio-economic conditions of the ``largest proletarian
labour force'' were pathetic. With meagre wages and living in
thatched huts, the miners led a miserable life, often leading to
violent outbursts at the managements of the mining companies.

The violent incidents during 1928-29 resulted in the police
firing on the workers, and the then Dewan, Sir Mirza Ismail,
appointed M.A.Srinivasan as special officer to submit a report on
the economic and social condition of the workers.

Srinivasan's report submitted in 1930 revealed the miserable
plight of the workers.

It was at this time that a young man from Madras, full of
enthusiasm and a deep dedication to the Communist ideals, set
foot in the mining areas and sowed the seeds of Communist trade
union movement among the workers.

He organised the first Leftist trade union in KGF comprising
workers of 13 mining companies, including four major ones such as
Mysore Kine, Champion Reef, Oorgaum and Nandidurg Mines, spread
over an area of 13,725 acres.

An amiable man with a pleasant temperament, K.S.Vasan was able to
build a strong workers' union. His simplicity endured him to the
masses.

It was due to his struggle and sacrifice that the workers were
able to get justice from the English company, John Taylor & Sons.
Soon, V.M.Govindan from Kerala and M.C.Narasimhan from Bangalore
joined K.S.Vasan and helped strengthen the trade union movement.
Described as the ``Red triad,'' the Vasan-Govindan-Narasimhan
combine succeeded in securing several rights and concessions,
including wage revision and other amenities to the workers.

Red flags, banners, buntings and endless meetings and processions
became the order of the day culminating in the 70-day strike in
1945 which shook the State.

The Communist-led trade union activities reached their pinnacle
between 1945 and 1952, and the first general election held that
year catapulted K.S.Vasan into the wider political arena which
opened up new avenues for the labour leader to bargain for more
concessions for the workers.

Being a Double-Member Constituency in the first and second
general elections, in 1952 and 1957 respectively, KGF had the
unique distinction of electing two MLAs, from the general and
reserved seats. While in the first general election, K.S.Vasan
(general) and P.M.Swamidorai (reserved) represented KGF,
M.C.Narasimhan and C.M.Arumugham were elected for the general and
reserved seats respectively in the second elections.

Things were not quiet elsewhere. In 1940, the Jana Jagruthi
Sangha was actively involved among the workers in Bangalore City.
The movement was led by C.B.Monnaiah and N.D.Shankar. The sangha
became a union with the arrival of M.L.Upadhayaya and
N.L.Upadhayaya from Bombay. It was thus that the Communist-led
trade unions started their activities in and around Bangalore
City.

Soon, a group of youths was formed to mobilise the working class.
It was at this time that Kulukunda Shivaraya (Niranjana),
S.Suryanarayana Rao, M.C.Narasimhan and M.S.Krishnan joined the
movement. By 1950, the movement took a firm root, and trade
unions began to sprout all over the State.

While the list of such dedicated men is endless, mention should
be made of at least some of the well-known ones. They include
Dinakar Desai (Uttara Kannada), B.V.Kakkilaya, Shanthan, Monappa
Shetty and Simson Soama (Dakshina Kannada), Shankarappa, Suresh,
Pampapathi, H.K.Ramachandrappa and V.R.Anantha Thirtha
(Davangere); Somasundara Sharma, T.Venkatram, K.Venkatram and
Seshadri (Mysore); and A.J.Mudhol and Mahadev (Hubli).

In Bangalore itself, thanks to the efforts of the Upadhayayas and
Niranjana, almost all the giant public sector undertakings and
several private units came under the sway of the Leftist trade
unions.

Those who are still actively engaged in the trade union
activities include Mr. S.Suryanarayana Rao, State Secretary (CPI-
M), Mr. M.C.Venkataramu, State Secretary, CPI, Mr. H.V.Anantha
Subba Rao, General Secretary, AITUC, Mr. M.C.Narasimhan, and Mr.
G.N.Nagaraj.

Leaders who did not belong to the Left movement but who worked
for the cause of the working class included K.T.Bashyam and Mr.
K.Sriramulu, who later became a minister.

The credit for bringing a sea change in the socio-economic
conditions of the employees of the Bangalore City Corporation
(now Bangalore Mahanagara Palike) should go to Mr. I.P.D.Salappa,
Mr. D.S.Sriramulu and Mr. K.V.Vasanth.